BIO
Annelies Zijderveld is the author of Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea, selected by the Los Angeles Times as a notable cookbook. Her poetry appears in Alexandria Quarterly, Garbanzo Journal, and Eat / Ate Anthology. She holds an MFA in poetry from New England College. To see more of her writing, visit anneliesz.com or follow her on Instagram @anneliesz
To Eat a Mango
To
eat a mango, discard
all
propriety and change
if you need to
Throw
off long sleeves or
roll
them up,
Tie
on an apron or bib
if you must
Before
you begin to peel the skin
pulp
glistening
Before
you give in,
put
away your knife, no cutting
board
needed when ripe
Call in sick
or
let lunch break into half
day
of work, you’ve only got time
to
be here now
Lean
in for the good night kiss
goodbye
Plunge mouth-first
call it love
for
five minutes if lucky, jaw still sticky,
eating
life with intention, all the way to the pit